Passing of Time
by XxdemonickitsuneangelxX
Summary: Ryoki and Asuza are best friends and the most popular guys in school. But what happens when Ryoki meets Hatsumi and finds he can't stop thinking about her. Does he really hate her like he originally thinks? Or is it something else entirely? Read to fi
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Wednesday February 24 – School – 5th Period**

"God that girl is so annoying! Who does she think she is? How dare she consider

herself equal to me! She thinks just cause she sits beside me she has the right to talk to

me? God, it fuckin pisses me off!" Ryoki said standing beside his best friend Asuza.

"Well it pisses me off that you can't shut up about her. She's the only thing you've

talked about since she moved here! Give it a break already," Asuza said annoyed.

"How can I forget it? She's in three of my classes and in every one she has to wave

and smile at me as if I were her friend. Man, I'm the most popular guy in school – she

should realize that she's not in the social class to talk to me. And last week when I skipped

math she actually brought my homework to my house. Said it was on her way home. My

mom almost invited her in. if people ever found out about that I'd be done for," Ryoki

said.

"God, just shut up about Hatty and do what you're supposed to be doing and keep

watch. I'm almost done," Asuza said spray painting the words Life Sucks on the west side

of the school building.

"Her name is Hatsumi – not Hatty. And I am watching so finish up so I can go

back to religion class," Ryoki said glancing around. He knew they'd never be caught.

Even if anyone saw them vandalizing the school they'd be too scared to tell. Ryoki and

Asuza were the most popular guys in school. They were leaders of the gang Eternal

Domination. Well really Asuza was the leader, Ryoki was just important because he

happened to be Asuza's best friend. Every kid was wary of them and tried to suck up and

kiss their asses. Every kid except Hatsumi. That's what bugged Ryoki the most. When

Hatsumi was around him she was herself. Most other girls put up some fake image of

themselves, thinking that that's what he wanted to see. And he enjoyed it. It made him

feel superior that he could control these girls and make them into someone they weren't.

"Done. Okay let's go," Asuza said stuffing the spray can into his pocket. "You

sure no one saw?"

"Yes I'm positive. Okay see you after school," Ryoki said. He walked back into

class and sat down. The teacher didn't even ask why he had taken so long in the bathroom.

He smiled. Even the teachers were afraid of him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**After School**

"Please Ryoki, won't you at least think about it?" Ruri begged him.

"I already told you. I'm not interested in going out with someone right now,"

Ryoki said, not looking her in the eye.

"Ryoki who are you waiting for?" Ruri said angrily walking away. Ryoki sighed.

Ruri was right. Who was he waiting for? Ruri was a great girl. He had known her since

he was five, which was when he met Asuza. Ruri was Asuza's older sister. She was in

grade twelve, a year older than him and Asuza. She was popular and pretty, but he could

never say yes. He sighed again and started walking home.

"Hey Ryoki – wait up," a voice called from behind. Ryoki turned to see Hatsumi

running to catch up to him. He gave a silent curse that he didn't leave class five minutes

later. He waited for her to catch up and then continued walking. "Did you see what

happened to the school?" she asked.

"Oh yeah I saw that. It's awful isn't it?" he said calmly. Asuza had told him

whenever you were guilty you shouldn't act as if you knew nothing of the situation

because that raised suspision.

"It is awful. I know it happened during fifth period, because my lunch was fourth

and I walked by that area to get to religion class and nothing was there then. Hey you were

missing for half of fifth period. Do you want to copy my notes?" Hatsumi asked. _Oh shit _

_she knows,_ Ryoki thought. Well she wasn't that stupid. Of course she would figure it out.

Wall – vandalized during fifth period. Ryoki – missing during fifth period. You just had

to put two and two together to solve the mystery.

"So who do you think did it?" he asked. Better that he find out now that she knew.

"I don't know," she said.

"You must have a guess," he prompted quietly while his mind was screaming, _If _

_she knows it's me why doesn't she say so?_

"Really I have no idea. And I wouldn't accuse anyone of doing something without

knowing for sure," Hatsumi said. _She's just toying with me_, Ryoki thought.

"If you did know who did it would you tell on them?" he asked. Hatsumi was

silent for a minute.

"I don't think I would," she said.

"Why not? Doesn't that person deserve to be caught and yelled at and punished?"

Ryoki said.

"If a person is bad enough to graffiti the school I don't think any amount of yelling

will make them change. Plus they know who they are and what they did was wrong and

one day they'll regret doing it, and feel really bad for the rest of their lives. I think that's

punishment enough, don't you?" Hatsumi said gazing at him intently. Ryoki could only

nod in response to her question. They walked in silence until Ryoki had to turn down his

street. He stooped walking and turned to her. He cursed himself for doing what he was

about to do, but couldn't stop himself for saying the words.

"Look, no matter what you may think – it wasn't me. I didn't vandalize the

school," Ryoki said. Hatsumi nodded.

"I know. You're not that kind of person." She said before walking away.

Ryoki lay awake that night, thinking of what Hatsumi had said. _I hate her so _

_much_! Ryoki thought. How come she could make him feel like he had done something

wrong. He didn't even write the graffiti on the wall - he had just watched, so why did he

feel so guilty?He tried to ignore the feeling of guilt but it was a long time before he

actually fell asleep.

**Hey Guys! Sorry I've taken so long to post the chapter. I've been away on vacation for the past week. Just swimming and doing nothing at my cottage. I've just read Ceres volume 1. It is so good! And I also read the Second Summer of the Sisterhood. It's a really good book too. Well I'll try to post the next chapter soon. **

**Thanks for all the reviews! Well there were only 3, but I wasn't expecting any until chapter 3 at least. I know the story is kind of slow but it gets really interesting in the after the next couple chapters.**

**By the way Ryoki is not as evil as you might think.**

**I don't own hot Gimmick**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Thursday - After School**

"Where were you today?" Asuza asked angrily. "We were supposed to meet in the third floor washroom during second period to celebrate our victory." The whole student body and even the teachers were talking about how someone had vandalized the school. Most people could guess who did it, but with no proof they would just be putting themselves in danger. Asuza's hang had no mercy for people who told on others.

"It's not even a victory. No one knows we did it," Ryoki pointed out.

"Who cares? The point is we made a statement. So what do you want to do next? I was thinking we could change the main clock in the school so that the bell is programmed to ring in the middle of every class," Asuza said chuckling at the thought. Ryoki stared at him.

"I think we should lay low for awhile. Who knows, we still might get caught for the Life Sucks thing," Ryoki said thinking of Hatsumi.

"Come on, if someone knew they would have already told. We're off the hook now. So we have to do something else. I was thinking we do the clock thing Wednesday night. How's that for you?" Asuza asked flashing some girls a smile as he walked by.

"I don't think I can," Ryoki said.

"Okay then, Thursday night," Asuza said.

"I meant I can't do it at all. Not so soon," Ryoki said feeling like an idiot. What was wrong with him? Why was he letting something some stupid girl said stop him from having fun? Why was he worrying that he would regret his actions later on in life? Asuza just stared at him.

"That's cool. If you don't want to do it I'll get someone else to help me," Asuza said. Ryoki just stood there, watching him walk away.

**Hey! How's everyone doing? Sometimes summer can be so boring with nothing to do. I went to Chapters yesterday. I love that store. You can just sit and read for hours and no one says anything to you. I read Hot Gimmick 9. It was really good, but I won't spoil it by telling you what happens. **

**I only got two reviews, but I got a pretty long one from the littlest weasley. I love to get reviews that say more than "write more". So I'm posting this chapter cause I loved her review. But I won't post the next one until I get at least three reviews. Sorry if that seems mean. Yours Truly XxDKAxX.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Friday - Before School**

Ryoki had thought about that conversation all night, and he had decided to talk to

Asuza. There was no way he was going to lose his best and only true friend because he

was worried that he would regret some action fof the rest of his life. He'd go to the school

on Wednesday with Asuza and change the clocks and feel glad that he had fought the

system. Who cared what some stupid girl thought anyway.

The bell rang and Ryoki went into first period to wait for asuza. He never showed

up, but Ryoki wasn't worried. Asuza often missed fist period because he preferred to sleep

in. In the halls Ryoki saw Ruri.

"Ruri, is Asuza at school?" Ryoki shouted from across the hall.

"He came but was sent home. Somehow the principal found out that it was Asuza

who vandalized the wall and he's suspended. I think he's back at school on Thursday,"

Ruri said before she was carried away by the crowd of students rushing to their second

period class.

Ryoki stood amazed. Asuza had gotten suspended? Who had told? He walked to

second period and made it fifteen minutes late. The rest of the day went by in a sort of

daze for Ryoki. He decided to go see Jake after school, but when school ended he didn't

feel like it. Ryoki wasn't sure why, but he was worried. Wonder is Asuza blamed him for

getting suspended. He was supposed to have been watching. In the end his fear won out

and he just decided to walk home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Saturday Afternoon**

When Ryoki got home from soccer practice his mother was waiting for him at the

door. She looked frantic and it was obvious from her puffy red eyes that she'd been

crying.

"Ryoki get your stuff. We have to leave," she said pushing him into the house and

quickly shutting the door.

"Why, what's wrong?" Ryoki asked.

"Your Aunt Maria got into a serious car accident. She's really badly injured. They

say she's only got a week or so to live. So we have to go see her. I booked two tickets for

tonight. We'll be gone for two weeks. Oh my god, I can't believe this happened. It's so

awful," his mother sobbed.

"Hey it'll be okay," Ryoki said reaching out to hug his mother. He was surprised

to see that she was now a full head shorter than him. He had grown a lot in the past two

years from being someone who was really short to one of the tallest guys in the class. He

always hated seeing his mother sad or upset. Her sister Maria was the only living relative

she had. Both her parents died a few years ago, and then her husband, and now her sister.

It was just one bad thing after the other.

He wondered if his mom had done something wrong in a former life to deserve

such bad luck. Then he realized maybe it was him and his stupid jokes that were the

reason she might be getting punished. He quickly pushed that thought from his mind. He

had nothing to do with his mother's pain. He would never want to see her cry. It was the

one thing he would never be able to change, even if Asuza had teased him and called him a

mamma's boy. But she was the only family he had. No brothers and sisters, and no father.

"I'll be ready. I just have to do something first," Ryoki said running out the door.

His mother shouted after him, but he didn't stop. He ran the fifteen minute walk to

Asuza's house. He knocked on the door and Ruri answered.

"Is Asuza there?" he panted. Ruri ran to check upstairs and Ryoki waited at the

doorstep, peeking into the neat clean house. He had never really been in Asuza's house

before. Asuza had never invited him. In fact Asuza spent most of his time trying to get

out of his house.

"He's here, but he doesn't want to see you." Ryoki cursed. He should

have known that Asuza would blame him for getting suspended.

"My aunt got into an accident. It's pretty serious so my mom and I are flying out

of town for two weeks to spend some time with her," Ryoki shouted hoping that would get

Asuza to come down. He waited but he didn't come down.

"Hope you have a good trip," Ruri said, trying to give Ryoki a smile that said he'll

get over it.

"Yeah and don't bother calling!" Asuza shouted as Ryoki walked out the door.

Ryoki scowled at the window he knew that belonged to Asuza's bedroom. He wouldn't

call, if that's the way Asuza wanted to be. Who cared anyway?

**Hey. It's me XxDKAxX. I only got 1 review but that's ok cause that chapter was short and boring. Don't worry the next chapter is going to be really exciting. I'll post it once I get three reviews for this chapter. You guys can do it! Well enjoy!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Two Weeks later – Monday morning – Before School**

Ryoki sighed. He was back at school after two weeks of doing nothing but playing

video games and watching television. He tried to keep himself from searching the crowds

for Asuza, but it was difficult. Ryoki hoped that by now Asuza would have forgotten the

whole incident and they could be friends again.

"Hey, what's up?" Asuza said running up to him. "How was your trip?" Ryoki

sighed in relief, it was one of the things he liked best about Asuza. He didn't hold grudges

against friends.

"Uh. It was pretty good. Well anything is better than going to school," Ryoki said

happily. The two made their way to their first period class, which was geography. They

talked and laughed as if they had never fought at all. They stood outside the door waiting

for the bell to ring. Hatsumi started walking toward the door.

Ryoki found himself staring at her. He found it hard to believe but he wanted to

ask her if she had missed him while he was away. Not that he cared what she said, but he

would do it to embarrass her. Knowing her she would probably say yes and that made

Ryoki smile.

"Hey sweetie, what's up?" Asuza said walking over to Hatsumi and giving her a

quick hug and a peck on the cheek.

"Nothing," she said blushing. She seemed to realize that Ryoki was watching and

that made her turn even redder. "Ryoki, your back." Ryoki stared at them unwilling to

believe what he saw.

"Me and Hatsumi are going out now. I forgot to tell you earlier," Asuza said

calmly with a teasing smile on his face. Ryoki wanted to punch him. He was so close

too, his fist squeezed into a tight ball, but he was able to control himself. He turned and

started walking back down the hall.

"Where are you going? Class is starting." Hatsumi called after him. Ryoki didn't

even bother to turn around.

"Who needs fucking geography anyway," he said angrily.

**Hey. Hope you liked the chapter. I think it's one of my favourites. The story is really going to start getting more interesting now that Hatsumi and Asuza are going out. Hope you enjoy it. I got 2 reviews so thank you for sending them. I want 3 for this chapter though. XxDKAxX. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Later that Day – Ryoki's house**

Ryoki flipped from channel to channel, not even paying attention to what was on TV. He had just run home, not bothering to go to the office to sign out or tell them he was leaving. Luckily by the time he got back his mother had already left for work. There was no way she'd let him stay home, especially after missing two weeks of school. He looked at the clock. It was almost 3:30.

He'd been watching TV for five hours straight. The funny thing was he didn't remember anything he had watched. His stomach growled and he went into the kitchen to get something to eat. Nothing much was in the fridge. Some old cheese, an apple, and some juice. Just as he was about to get a glass the doorbell rang. He wondered if it might be Asuza checking up on him. He opened the door.

"I have your homework," Hatsumi said smiling as Ryoki stood there looking around to see if Asuza had come with her, but he wasn't anywhere in sight. She handed him some textbooks and a sheet of paper telling him what pages and questions to do. "I hope you don't mind that Asuza went through your locker to find your textbooks. He said you went home because you weren't feeling well. Do you feel better now?" Hatsumi looked up at him, and he didn't know what to say.

"I'm feeling much better, but I better go back inside. Thanks for dropping off my homework," he said even though he doubted he would do it. Ryoki turned to go inside but he still wanted to ask her something. "Why are you going out with Asuza?" Hatsumi seemed surprised at the question.

"Well first of all because he asked me, and second he seems like a nice guy," Hatsumi tried to explain. Ryoki wanted to tell her that Asuza wasn't a nice guy, but how could he? Asuza was his best friend. Ryoki wasn't sure why he felt so angry. Asuza went out with lots of girls before and he had never gotten this upset. One thing just didn't make sense. Why did Asuza pick Hatsumi out of all the other girls in eleventh grade? He had never gone out with a girl who was sweet, obeyed her parents and did her homework. Plus he knew that Ryoki couldn't stand her.

It didn't really matter. Asuza only went out with a girl for a month top. Hatsumi would probably be dumped by the end of the week. But even that thought didn't make him feel any better. In fact it made him worried. Hatsumi trusted Asuza and he would probably end up hurting her. Well one thing was for sure, he couldn't hide at home anymore. He'd have to go to school and talk to Asuza.

**I'm so happy I got 7 reviews! Thanks so much guys, you are the greatest! I promise to post the next chapter really soon! XxDKAxX. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hot Gimmick.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Next Day – After School**

Ryoki met Asuza at his locker after school. They had decided to go to the music store and look at CD's. They walked in silence the whole way there. When they got to the store Ryoki couldn't stand it any longer.

"So….. how are you doing?" he asked glad the awkward silence had been broken even if it was by a stupid question.

"Pretty good," Asuza said. Another moment of silence followed and Ryoki searched his head for something to say.

"How's your relationship with Hatsumi?" he asked trying to sound as if he didn't really care.

"Pretty good," he said, and Ryoki tried not to think about how he had said the exact same thing twice and was probably enjoying the awkward silences.

"That's good. You know many people are wondering about you guys. What made you decide to go out with Hatsumi? I mean, she's not really your type. You've never dated a girl like her before," Ryoki seemed unable to shut up. His remark had gotten worse and worse, and he wished he had never said anything at all.

"I guess I wanted something different. I'm tired of the fake girls I've been going out with. I wanted something real," he said, and Ryoki was surprised not to hear pretty good again.

"How long do you think you guys will go out for," he asked. Asuza stared at him.

"Why are you asking me so many god damn questions?" he said, though to Ryoki's relief he did not seem annoyed.

"Just curious, I don't know," Ryoki mumbled.

"I think I know what this is all about," Asuza said picking up another CD. "You like Hatsumi, don't you?" Asuza was grinning from ear to ear now and Ryoki felt his face heat up.

"What are you talking about? You know I can't stand her," Ryoki almost shouted. Asuza just went on smiling and Ryoki knew he wasn't at all convinced.

"If you tell me you like her, I'll consider breaking up with her," Asuza said. Ryoki shook his head in disbelief. Why was Asuza acting so weird? He had already told him he didn't like her.

"I already told you, I don't like her," Ryoki said again.

"Alright, if you say so man. Forget I said anything," Asuza said taking the CD and sliding it into his jacket pocket. Ryoki walked out of the store disgusted. He had once told Asuza that he didn't like him stealing, but Asuza had explained that since Ryoki had money he wouldn't understand what it was like being poor. Ryoki had felt sorry for Asuza and had never brought up the topic of his stealing since. But he never stuck around when he saw Asuza doing it. He sat down at the food court and waited for Asuza. A minute later Asuza came and sat down beside him. He took the CD out of his pocket to look at it again.

"Shit. I think I've already got this one. You want it?" he said examining the label.

"No thanks," Ryoki said getting up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Asuza called out.

"Home," Ryoki said over his shoulder. He looked back one last time to see Asuza hand the CD to some kid sitting alone at a table. Despite what everyone thought Asuza was an okay guy at heart. It was too bad he didn't act that way around other people.

When he got home he started making a list. He always found things easier to understand written down. At the top he wrote "Why Asuza might Like Hatsumi." He thought if he made a list he would be able to accept the fact that they were going out and he wouldn't feel so angry anymore. He thought it would be hard to think of things to write but within a minute he had plenty of words down. Kind, caring, friendly, honest, funny, considerate, accepting, smart and cheerful were just some of the first words on the long list. He was done two pages with three minutes.

He sighed. So now he knew that Asuza had many reasons for liking Hatsumi. The list hadn't helped him understand anything at all. He scrunched the paper up into a ball and threw it in the trash can.

**Hey! Sorry it took so long for this chapter. The next one will be sooner. I've been reading Harry Potter 6 and it's pretty good. I wish there had been more romance between Ron and Hermoine though. I think they make such a cute couple! I've also read Fruits Basket 8 today and Chobits 5. Both were very good books. Well I only got one review from the littlest weasley so this chapter can be dedicated to you! Thanks so much! Love XxDKAxX.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Wednesday After School

Ryoki ran to Asuza's locker after school. "Are you ready to go?" he asked. They had decided to go to the Dairy Queen after school to hangout and wanted to beat the four o clock rush when all the little kids were let out of school.

"I'm ready. We just have to wait for Hatsumi," Asuza said putting on his backpack and shutting his locker.

"Hatsumi?" Ryoki repeated.

"Yeah I invited her. I hope you don't mind," Asuza said smiling. In truth Ryoki did mind, but he decided not to say anything about it to Asuza. He watched as Hatsumi ran over. Asuza grabbed her into a hug and kissed her. Ryoki stared at the floor waiting for her to acknowledge him. She didn't say anything to him as they left the school.

They walked over to Dairy Queen. Asuza and Hatsumi were chatting, but Ryoki found it hard to pay attention to what they were saying. They all ordered blizzards, But Ryoki found it hard to enjoy when Hatsumi kept laughing at all of Asuza's lame jokes. _They're not funny,_ Ryoki wanted to say but he kept his mouth shut. Suddenly he realized they were talking about him.

"It was the ugliest looking dog I've ever seen, but Ryoki didn't care at all. He took it home and took care of it. Everyone said it was sickly and had some disease, but he looked after it everyday. It died a week later but that just goes to show you that he has a heart of pure gold," Asuza said laughing. Hatsumi smiled.

"I already knew that," she said quietly but Asuza had already started talking about the time when he broke his arm walking on the fence. They stayed for an hour until Asuza said he had to go home. Hatsumi and Ryoki walked home together. _Why does she have to live in the same direction as me,_ Ryoki thought.

"Are you going to the party?" Hatsumi asked suddenly.

"What party?" Ryoki asked surprised.

"The party on Friday night at Subaru's house," she said.

"No, why, are you going?" Ryoki said feeling angry he hadn't been invited. And Subaru was his good friend too. He was always invited to all the social outings of the year. Was he losing his popularity?

"Yes, Asuza's taking me," she said. "I've never been to a party before, like with a guy. Oh you won't tell Asuza I said that. He'd think I was totally lame." Ryoki was shocked at her confession. He had never met a girl in grade eleven that had yet to go to a high school party.

"Wow, you're like Ms. Goody-two-Shoes. Next your going to tell me you've never tried alcohol before," Ryoki said.

"Of course I have, but there's not going to be any at the party is there?" Hatsumi asked looking worried. Ryoki laughed.

"It's a high school party! What do you expect?" he said.

"But we're underage," Hatsumi argued. "Oh my god. I should cancel and tell Asuza I can't go."

"No, don't do that. Come on, you'll have o go to a party sooner or later. It'll be fun, just don't drink anything," he said smiling. Hatsumi nodded and Ryoki almost laughed at the seriousness of her expression. They kept walking until Ryoki came to his street. "See you," he called out.

"Bye," she said waving. He stared after her for a minute and then ran into his house.

"She's so adorable," he said to himself walking through the front door.

"Who's adorable?" his mother asked pooping her head out of the kitchen.

"I didn't mean that she's adorable, she just acts adorable…sort of…like's she never been to a party before," Ryoki said thinking how stupid he must sound. The more he tried to sound casual the more squeaky his voice turned out.

"Who's never been to a party before?" his mom asked knowing something was up from her son's strange behaviour.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter," Ryoki said racing up the stairs to his room. He would have to be more careful with what he said. He collapsed onto the bed just as the phone rang.

"Ryoki, phone," his mom shouted up the stairs. He got up and picked up the cordless phone on his desk.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hey Ryoki. It's me Subaru. I'm having a party Friday night. Do you think you can come? I know it's sort of short notice but I couldn't find you at school," Subaru said.

"That's okay. I think I can make it," Ryoki said trying to keep his voice normal. He shouldn't have been worried about losing popularity. For now he was still on top.

**Hey! I got so many reviews. It makes me so happy. Thanks so much guys! Next chapter is the party. I can't wait to post it cause I know you guys are going to love it! But I want 5 reviews first. **

**XxDKAxX. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Friday – At the Party**

Ryoki walked through the door and was immediately surrounded by the loud sound of music. He squirmed through the crowd searching for Asuza. There were tones of teenagers dancing in the tiny living room. He saw Subaru talking with some girls.

"Hey Subaru, have you seen Asuza anywhere?" he asked watching as the girls checked him out.

"I think I saw him head upstairs with some girl just a minute ago," Subaru said pointing to the stairs. Ryoki nodded and walked up the stairs with a worried expression on his face. People only went upstairs to make out and have sex. Is that what they were doing? He reached the top of the stairs to see Asuza leading Hatsumi into a room. She was wobbling and could barely walk. She definitely seemed to be drunk, and Asuza looked like he had drank over his limit as well.

"Hatsumi are you okay? You don't look so good," Ryoki said walking over to them. He felt very relieved to find they weren't already in bed. In their drunken states things could have easily gone too far. Hatsumi looked as if she was about to throw up. "I think we should take her home Asuza."

"But we weren't going to do anything," Asuza said pointing to the room. Ryoki just nodded and started leading Hatsumi down the stairs. Asuza tried to catch up with them, but fainted halfway across the hall. Despite what most people thought Asuza was not a very heavy drinker and he didn't usually go over his limit unless he was very upset.

"Wait here," Ryoki told Hatsumi as he went back to pick Asuza off the floor and placed him on the bed. He came back and helped Hatsumi down the stairs and outside shouting to Subaru that Asuza was in the bedroom. Some guys started cheering thinking he was scoring with some girl, but Subaru understood. He was one of the very few who knew the secret. If anyone else found out they'd laugh at Asuza so Ryoki kept it a well guarded secret.

"I'll make sure he gets home okay," Subaru said understanding what had happened. Ryoki led Hatsumi toward the hand. It was already dark outside and there were only a couple cars on the road to see them pass.

"I'm tired," Hatsumi complained, which Ryoki found weird since she was walking much slower than she usually did. Ryoki tried to urge her on but eventually she just stopped altogether. Ryoki sighed.

"Hop on," he said bending down so she could jump on his back. He started piggybacking her back home. He thought he would feel ridiculous carrying a drunk girl on his back but he didn't. Having her head rest on his shoulder and her arms around his neck, knowing that she trusted him felt kind of nice.

"This is fun," she said seeming to have regained most of her energy. Ryoki smiled.

"Just hold on tight," he said before he started running. Hatsumi laughed and Ryoki ran as fast as he could just to make her laugh again. Suddenly it started raining. Hatsumi screamed in surprise and Ryoki ran to the nearest shelter. He ran into a bus shelter and set her down. She laughed as she wiped the wet hair from her face. Ryoki stared at her amazed at the unexpected beauty he saw. She shivered in her tank top.

"Are you cold?" he asked wishing he had a jacket to offer her.

"I'll be alright," Hatsumi said leaning into him. Ryoki could feel her warmth through his shirt and was surprised at how his pulse sped up. He put his arms around her and was now thanking God he didn't bring a jacket. "It's a nice night," Hatsumi said quietly. And even though it was raining Ryoki found he had to agree. The rain stopped all too soon for Ryoki even if it had lasted a half hour. They walked silently for the next ten minutes hand in hand and Ryoki couldn't remember if she had grabbed his hand or if it was the other way around.

"I just realized I don't know where you live," Ryoki said. Hatsumi laughed.

"Don't worry, I'll be able to tell you," she said. She led him down a street similar to the one he lived on. Together they walked up to the door and Hatsumi rang the doorbell. "Forgot my key," she told him while they waited for someone to answer the door. Her mother answered the door.

"You must be Asuza," her mother said eyeing him.

"Umm, no. I'm Ryoki actually, a friend of Asuza's," Ryoki said feeling very embarrassed. Wonder if Asuza's mother thought he had gotten Hatsumi drunk? And wonder if she told him never to talk to him again.

"Well thanks for bringing me home Ryoki. It was really nice of you," Hatsumi said smiling at him. He waved as she shut the door. Walking home he felt sad for some reason. The night had been good, and he was positive he would remember it for a long time. It felt so good to have Hatsumi in his arms. Being near her. Making her laugh.

Could it be possible that he was falling in love with Hatsumi? But he had despised her before. What had changed? Maybe he had always loved her and he was just realizing it now. Or maybe he didn't love her and he just thought he did because she was his best friend's girl. He would have to think about it but for now he could just be happy by remembering her laugh.

**Yes! I finally got my required 5 reviews! The fifth review was sent by DeNyed and she had such an interesting review so for the next chapter I only need 2 reviews. I've been reading Ceres and I've gotten up to Volume 10! But does anyone know how many volumes of Ceres there actually are? Well summer is almost over. It's kind of sad but exciting too. I don't know how old anyone is but I'm supposing at least one of you will be entering high school. So good luck on the first day of school cause I know it can be tough. Well until next time XxDKAxX.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Saturday Afternoon**

"Mom, can I ask you something?" Ryoki said after dinner.

"Sure, anything. What's wrong?" his mom asked. Ryoki loved the way his mom

was always there to listen to his troubles and worries. It made him understand how

Asuza could be so resentful and angry at everyone.

"Is it possible to really hate a person at first, and then like them?" he asked not

meeting her eye directly. He didn't want her to know this was about him and Hatsumi.

His mom looked thoughtful.

"Well your father and I didn't get along at all when we first met. He sat beside

me when we were in sixth grade and he teased me all the time. He laughed every time I

got a wrong answer and would draw the whole class's attention to me so they all knew I

had done something wrong. I was somewhat of a nerd back then, so people enjoyed

seeing me wrong. I cried a lot, almost every night and I hated him more than anything.

In grade seven we were in different classes so we just ignored each other. Grade eight we

had to sit beside each other again, but it wasn't as bad. Then we went to different high

schools and we didn't speak at all. Wasn't I shocked when we ended up in the same

university. I think he was just as surprised as me. We decided to get together, just out of

curiosity to see how the other had turned out. I don't know, we just seemed to get along

so much better. He had changed a lot, he was much smarter than I remembered him.

Sometimes we got mad at eachother but the fights just made it interesting. I realized I

loved him, and that I had always loved him, but had shown it in a weird way. Well you

know the rest," his mom said with tears in her eyes. "I miss him so much. If only he was

still with us. I know things would be different." Ryoki watched his mother cry and

wasn't sure what he could say to comfort her.

"If he was with us he would be happy we were doing so well on our own," Ryoki

said quietly. He wasn't sure whether or not this would help but it was worth a shot. The

phone rang and Ryoki ran to get it.

"Hello, is Ryoki there?" a familiar voice said over the phone.

"What is it Asuza?" Ryoki said.

"I wanted to talk to you about Hatsumi," Asuza said. Ryoki immediately snapped

to attention.

"What is it?" he asked trying not to sound interested even though his mind was

reeling at all the possible things Asuza might say. They could have even slept together.

It didn't take Asuza long to get the girl he wanted in bed with him, why would Hatsumi

be any different? Please don't be that, Ryoki begged.

"I went out with Hatsumi yesterday and well I think I'm kind of getting bored of

her. So I think we're going break up," he said matter of factly. Ryoki held in his sigh of

relief.

"When are you going to break up?" he asked.

"Well we're going out on Thursday after school so probably then," Asuza said.

Ryoki was overjoyed. He should have known it would have only lasted for a couple

weeks. Why had he gotten so worried for? Everything would go back to normal between

him and Asuza once he broke up with Hatsumi. He was sure of it.

**Thanks for the reviews! XxDKAxX.**

**I do not own Hot gimmick. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Wednesday – After School**

"Can I walk home with you Hatsumi?" Ryoki asked after school on Wednesday.

"Wow, sure," Hatsumi said surprised.

"What are you making that face for," he asked glaring at her.

"I'm just surprised. You've never asked to walk home with me before," she said shyly.

"Well I want to talk to you about something," Ryoki said. He wasn't sure he should say anything, but he needed to find something out.

"You're going out with Asuza right now, so I'm wondering how into him are you?" he said quietly.

"Into him? What do you mean?" Hatsumi asked confused.

"I mean how much do you like him?" Ryoki said trying to keep his voice level.

"I like him, but I wouldn't say I'm crazy about him," Hatsumi said slowly.

"How upset would you be if he broke up with you?" Ryoki blurted out. He couldn't help himself. He had been looking forward to the breakup all week, but he had totally forgotten about how Hatsumi might feel about Asuza breaking up with her.

"Why are you asking me this? Did Asuza say something to you?" Hatsumi asked. Ryoki couldn't tell if she was angry at him or upset about the possible idea of a breakup with Asuza.

"No I'm just wondering," he said.

"Look I'm not that serious about Asuza and if he want s to break up with me he should do it himself and not send you as the messenger boy," she said loudly.

"No he didn't send me to break up with you. I swear. It's just ….. forget it. Forget I said anything," Ryoki said cursing his stupidity. "I forgot my book in my locker. I have to go back and get it." Hatsumi didn't say anything as he ran back into the school. Ryoki waited a good fifteen minutes at his locker to make sure she would be home before he started walking. He didn't want to talk to her. When he was around her he felt happy, but it was all so confusing. She was still going out with Asuza. They wouldn't officially break up until Thursday after school. But then what? He couldn't just ask Hatsumi out right after. How long did he have to wait? Would Asuza be upset with him?

Ryoki stopped in mid thought. What was he thinking? When did he decided he was going to ask her out? Did he even want to ask her out? He liked her but he was worried. There were so many things to consider. He walked home slowly trying to clear his mind. He told himself to stop worrying for no reason, and that there would be plenty of time to decide whether or not he liked Hatsumi. After all he had his whole life ahead of him. What could possibly go wrong?

**Thursday - After School**

Ryoki went home straight after school. He didn't talk to Hatsumi at all that day. In fact he took special care to avoid her. Hopefully she had forgotten about their conversation yesterday. Would she tell Asuza that he had mentioned breaking up? Oh well, there was no way of knowing and nothing he could do about it anyway.

He sat down to watch TV. They could be breaking up right now, he thought and couldn't help smiling. Tomorrow was a PA day so no one would be at school. He decided to go to Asuza's house tomorrow and ask him how it went. He would also ask if he had any problem with him asking Hatsumi out. But that's only if he decided to, he wasn't one hundred percent sure yet. He found himself willing the next day to come faster.

**Friday Afternoon**

"Is Asuza here?" Ryoki asked when Ruri opened the door.

"Umm. No. He left a little while ago to go somewhere with Hatsumi," Ruri said looking him over. "You want to come in?"

"What do you mean? They didn't break up?" Ryoki said surprised.

"Of course not. Asuza told me this morning that the two of them are really in love," Ruri said.

"But Hatsumi told me a couple days ago that she doesn't really care for Asuza. And Asuza told me they were going to break up yesterday," Ryoki explained.

"She probably cares about him. I mean if she didn't would the two of them be spending the night together," Ruri said. Ryoki's jaw dropped.

"What do you mean?" he said not believing what he had heard. There was no way that Hatsumi would decide to sleep with them. She couldn't be that type of girl. Especially after the way she knew so little about high school parties.

"Asuza said that tonight was going to be the night," Ruri said staring at Ryoki.

"Listen I know Hatsumi. There's no way she'd sleep with Asuza. She's way too goody-goody," Ryoki said trying to figure things out. "Well maybe I'm over-reacting. Asuza's not going to do anything to hurt her."

"Maybe," Ruri said in a strange voice. Ryoki looked at her.

"You know something and your not telling me. What is it? What has Asuza told you?" Ryoki said, his anger rising.

"Why would I tell you?" Ruri said bitterly. Ryoki felt like hitting her but he restained himself. Asuza really cared for his older sister and if Ryoki ever hurt her he would be in big trouble. That was part of the reason why he kept refusing to go out with her. He didn't want to put his friendship with Asuza at risk.

"Tell me, Hatsumi could be in trouble," Ryoki said trying to remain patient.

"He wants to rape her, okay. Are you happy now?" Ruri said in a cold voice.

**Thank you to IrishWind and DigiFox86. If it wasn't for your reviews I wouldn't be posting this chapter.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"He wants to rape her, okay. Are you happy now?" Ruri said in a cold voice.

"How do you know?" Ryoki demanded.

"Asuza told me," Ruri said.

"Why would he tell you that?" Ryoki asked.

"I don't know. When he started going out with her I was kind of comfused and I asked him why would he go out with someone like Hatsumi and he said he just wanted to rape her," Ruri said calmly.

"You're a fucking liar," Ryoki shouted.

"I swear I'm telling the truth," she shouted back. Ryoki paused. If Ruri was telling the truth then Hatsumi was in real danger.

"Where did they go Ruri?" Ryoki asked.

"I don't have to tell you," she shouted.

"Please Ruri. She could be in real trouble," Ryoki said trying to be nice.

"Oh sure I'll tell you. Then you can go save Hatsumi and become her boyfriend and everything will be happy for you! But what about me, Ryoki? Where do I fit in to your happy life? As your best friend's sister? I don't want that. I want to be more. I've loved you for as long as I can remember, and you've never once gone out on a date with me. I'm glad Hatsumi is getting raped. I hope she's hurt real bad," Ruri screamed her voice going hoarse. Ryoki was at a loss for words. He had never seen this side to her before.

"You don't mean that," he said trying to calm her down and keep his distance at the same time.

"I do mean it," Ruri shouted, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Tell me where they went," Ryoki ordered.

"I'll only tell you if you promise to go out with me. You have to go out with me for as long as I say so. Until I decide to dump you. If you promise to do that then I'll tell you where they went," Ruri said.

"That's so full of shit," Ryoki said, really pissed off. He stared at her hard, trying to think of the best plan. He had three options. One was to try and convince her to tell him, but Ruri was so stubborn she wouldn't tell him even if he tried to beat it out of her. Two was to look for them on his own, which was unlikely because it would take him a long time to look everywhere. He might not find them until it was too late. The only way he had a chance of saving Hatsumi was if he agreed to go out with Ruri.

"I promise to go out with you, now tell me where they went," Ryoki said in a defeated voice.

"You really promise? You're not just telling me that so I'll tell you?" Ruri asked.

"You know I never break a promise," Ryoki said. It was the truest thing about him. He hated when other people lied and said things they weren't really going to do. He thought of the guys his mother dated showering him with praise, saying he was such a good boy, buying him presents, just to kiss up to his mom's ass. They had all promised Ryoki to go out and do something just the men, but they never did. They just weren't interested in him.

Ryoki hated liars and so he never lied, no matter what. He wanted people to know that if he said anything it was the truth and that he was going to do whatever he said he was. Maybe that's why Asuza and him were such good friends. Asuza needed someone he could always count on to be there for him and Ryoki happened to be the guy who was always there. "Tell me where they went, please," Ryoki asked again.

"They went to the cottage up north. The one all three of us went to last summer. Near the lake," Ruri said. Ryoki instantly knew what she was talking about. Asuza's parents had taken him there every summer for the past five years. He loved it there, spending time with his best friend, swimming and cooking marshmallows, not a care in the world. Unfortunately it was a four hour drive and he didn't have a car.

"Let me borrow your car, Ruri," Ryoki said.

"For a kiss," Ruri said teasingly. Ryoki let out a sigh of frustration but did as she asked. She went to get the keys red in the face. "You're not so bad at it," Ruri said handing him the keys. Ryoki grabbed them without comment and raced to the car. He sped away not looking back at Ruri standing in the doorway. He didn't even want to think about what he had agreed to. What would Ruri make him do and when would she be brave enough to move on and realize the fact that he didn't like her? He pushed those thoughts away and thought only of rescuing Hatsumi.

He pulled up the driveway to the cottage. His breathing seemed unusually loud and harsh and his heart was pounding. He paused at the door wondering of he should knock or use the spare key under the mat. He decided on using the spare key so that way he could check up on them without Asuza knowing. He'd be pretty embarrassed if there was really nothing wrong and he had driven so far.

He walked through the house as quietly as he could. He couldn't hear anything, which only served to make him fell more nervous. He went up the stairs and stopped when he heard a noise.

"Asuza stop it," a quiet voice cried out. Ryoki's heart almost broke in his chest. He tiptoed toward the room the noise had come from and peeked in. His eyes went wide at what he saw. Asuza on top of Hatsumi on the bed. _No_ he thought. He was hoping that nothing was really wrong, that Ruri was making things up for attention, but he couldn't deny what he saw. Hatsumi was tied by her hands to the bed. She was crying and her sobs echoed through the quiet room. Ryoki saw their clothes in a pile on the floor. He wanted to rush in and stop them, but his legs wouldn't move. He was frozen in spot watching Asuza hurt Hatsumi, his best friend hurting the girl he loved. Each sob she uttered he felt like dying it was so painful. He wanted so much to help but could not get himself to move, could not help staring at them.

Suddenly Hatsumi looked up and saw him standing there. The intense look in her eyes made him take a step back. There was so much fear he had to look away. It broke the spell he had been under and he threw open the door and stepped into the room.

Hey! So I decided to post another chapter. Finally. Sorry it's been so long.

**Thank you to the people who sent in reviews. IrishWind, Serenity Madison, and Haruko haruhara this chapter is dedicated to you. (Sorry it's kind of a boring one but the next chapter will be REALLY EXCITING I swear.) **

**It's funny that you asked about Hot Gimmick 10. Just yesterday I went to Chapters cause I wanted to read Hot Gimmick 10, and Fruits Basket 12 and Ceres 13, which all came out recently. I was so angry cause Chapters had none of these books. Was Hot Gimmick 10 really bad? That sucks. I tried reading her other book Tokyo boys and girls but it doesn't have as good a storyline and I don't really feel any desire to read the second one. If you guys have any suggestions as to romantic manga I might like tell me. Well I'll talk more in the next review. Thanks for reading my story. XxDKAxX. **


	14. Chapter 14

Ryoki stepped inside the room and grabbed Asuza. In one swift movement he threw him off of her and onto the floor. Asuza stood up quickly, looking surprised to see Ryoki.

"What the fuck are you doing here Ryoki?" he said staring at him. The room was deadly quiet as Ryoki tried to think of a response. The only light came from a few candles on a table and the moonlight pouring in from the window.

"What the hell are you doing to her? What's wrong with you?" Ryoki said, deciding to ignore Asuza's question and ask some of his own.

"Don't blame me! It's your fault!" Asuza shouted, anger in his voice.

"That's bullshit. How is this my fault? You're the one who's raping her," Ryoki shouted back.

"Don't act like you don't know! I did this to get revenge. You've been pretending to be my friend all these years and the whole time you've just been using me," Asuza said, oblivious to the fact that he was still naked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ryoki said in confusion. Why would Asuza think that he was using him. Ryoki had never done anything to betray Asuza's trust, so why was Asuza doubting their friendship?

"I know that you told the vice-principal that I vandalized the school wall. You did it to save your sorry ass from getting into trouble," Asuza shouted.

"That's a lie! I would never tell on you Asuza. How could you think that?" Ryoki said in shock. Ryoki would never rat on a friend, even if it meant he had to take the blame for something he didn't do. Why was Asuza jumping to these strange conclusions when he didn't have any proof?

"You're a fucking liar! You told on me and so I decided to get revenge the only way I could. I thought it was strange that you kept going on about some stupid girl. You had never done that before, and even though you told me you couldn't stand her I knew you cared about her. So I decided to hurt her and I knew that by hurting her I would hurt you as well," Asuza said. Ryoki couldn't believe what he was hearing. Asuza had always been sort of rash. He was the type who would dive into a pool without checking how deep it was, or run onto the road without checking if cars were coming. When he got angry there was little anyone could do to calm him down. That was just the way he was, but he had never gone so far as to hurt anyone.

"I don't know how you knew we were here but you're not going to stop me. I'm going to finish what I came here to do, and then I'll be done with you forever," Asuza said threateningly.

"I'm not going to let you do this," Ryoki said, stepping in between Asuza and the bed that Hatsumi was on. Asuza laughed, making chills run down Ryoki's back. What could he do to stop Asuza? He didn't want to hurt him, but he was positive about one thing. He would do anything to stop him from hurting Hatsumi. Maybe there was some way he could reason with him.

"Asuza I know you want to get revenge on me, but using Hatsumi is not the answer. She didn't do anything to deserve this?" Ryoki said.

"Oh yeah, what about me Ryoki. Did I deserve having my mother die? What about you? Did you deserve it when your father died? No one deserves anything, but things happen and you can't do anything to stop it," Asuza said.

"It's true you can't do anything to stop bad things from happening, but there are people in your life who will make the pain more bearable. I remember how much my aunt helped my mother when my father died, and I remember how we helped each other through all the bad times in our life. We didn't deserve all the bad things that happened to us, but at least we had each other to help us get through it," Ryoki said starting to feel sorry for Asuza.

"I thought you were my best friend, Ryoki. I couldn't believe you told on me. I don't know who to trust. I don't have anyone anymore Ryoki. My father hasn't spoken to me in years. He walks by me in the hallways of our house but he never says a word to me or my sister. How do you think that makes me feel? Who can I trust if you betray me Ryoki?" Asuza asked looking like a lost puppy.

"It'll be alright. Let's just forget this whole thing," Ryoki said trying to comfort Asuza. He stepped towards him.

"No, I can't just forget it happened. How can you say it'll be okay, when you know things will never be the same between us again?" Asuza shouted. He lunged at Ryoki trying to knock him off his feet. The two fell to the floor with a loud crash. One minute Asuza was hitting Ryoki in the stomach, the next second Ryoki was on top. It sort of reminded him of the timesthey had fought when they were little. But back then it had been for fun, and this was real. Ryoki pushed Asuza off him and stood up. Asuza was up trying to knock Ryoki hard in the face.

Ryoki gave Asuza a hard shove pushing him back against the wall. Asuza banged into the table, knocking it over. All the candles landed on the floor and Ryoki watched with dread as the fire spread onto the carpet. Ryoki was pushed down by Asuza, who was taking advantage of Ryoki's moment of distraction. The two continued to fight as the fire spread throughout the room. The room became so smoky that Ryoki's eyes stung and started watering. Asuza started coughing and Hatsumi began screaming at them to stop.

**Hey it's the end of the chapter. How are all you guys doing? How was your Christmas and New Years? Mine were pretty boring, but it's better than being stuck at school. I really needed a vacation. Thanks to all those who submit reviews. Enjoy the rest of your holidays.**

**XxDKAxX.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Asuza collapsed onto the floor, unable to stop coughing from all the smoke. He clutched his throat, shaking. Ryoki took the opportunity to run to Hatsumi on the bed. She didn't seem hurt, only frightened, but she would be hurt unless he got her out of here. The sheets to the bed had caught fire and he pulled them off the bed before they could reach her. He heard the door slam behind him. He glanced at the spot where Asuza had been coughing. He was gone. He tried to undo her hands, but the cord was too tightly bound.

"Get the knife," Hatsumi coughed out. He looked around the room, but could barely see let alone find a knife. He went down on all fours and began crawling around the room. The knife was glinting, and he picked it up without thinking, burning his hand. But he held on to it, running back to the bed. He cut the ropes tying her hands and feet and helped her off the bed.

He ran to the door, and it was locked. He began kicking with all his might. It flung open, but the hallway was almost as smoky as the bedroom. Either the fire had spread to the hall and down the stairs, or Asuza had lit one to keep them from getting out. He ran ahead of Hatsumi, down the stairs. But halfway down they broke under his weight. He fell, landing on the floor with a crash.

"Ryoki, are you okay?" Hatsumi cried, from the floor above. Ryoki got up slowly, his head pounding.

"Hatsumi, you have to jump down," he shouted up at her. On the main floor there wsa less smoke and it was easier to breathe. He found himself getting calmer, and his head began working again.

"I'm not jumping down," she cried.

"I'll catch you, trust me," he said.

"I'm not going too," she said back.

"If you don't jump we are both going to die in this house," he shouted.

"Just leave I'll find some other way down," Hatsumi shouted back.

Ryoki cursed and tried to think of something he could do. Why did she have to be so stubborn? The floor creaked, sounding like it was about to collapse. It was too dangerous to be standing around wasting time, yet what could he do to make her jump? He wouldn't leave her, he'd rather die. He realized at that moment the depth of his love. He realized he loved her so much he would do anything to keep her safe. He dragged over a chair. He stood on it and jumped up to grab the floor of the top level. He pulled himself up. Hatsumi helped him up.

"What are you thinking?" she said. He grabbed her arm and pushed her over the edge of the floor. He let her dangle for a minute and then let go, dropping her to the main floor. Ryoki lowered himself back down. Once down he grabbed her hand and the two of them ran out of the burning cottage. He turned around to see smoke rising and flames reaching out of windows into the dark night. He heard sirens nearby.

He held on to her hand, pulling her to the water's edge. He did not want to be caught near the scene when people started asking who had started the fire. The water was cool, and felt soothing after the intense heat of the cottage. They kept their heads low and walked along the shoreline, half in the water. They watched as firemen came and started hosing down the house. After they were a fair distance away they got out, the air cold on their skin.

Ryoki took off his shirt and handed it to Hatsumi. "It's wet but it'll keep you covered," he said looking away. Hatsumi suddenly realized she was naked and grabbed the shirt in embarrassment. She pulled it on, her face bright red. Ryoki couldn't help but stare at her. She was so cute. He sat down and pulled her down beside him. They sat, looking out at the water, and the pretty reflection of the moon on its surface. He put his arm around her pulling her towards him.

He felt something in him, something he couldn't put into words. She looked at him, her eyes bright, as always. He leaned forward, kssing her softly on her cheek and then her lips. He kissed her again and again, loving the feeling. He couldn't control himself or think. She kissed him back softly, as if getting used to it. He put his hand on the back of her head, pushing her towards him. He pushed her back against the ground and shifted so he was over her. He felt her pule quicken and her skin heated up. He began kissing her down her neck, placing his hands on both of her hips.

"Ryoki, Ryoki, wait," she said pushing him away. Ryoki opened his eyes and moved off of her. He sat facing the water trying to control his uneven breathing. Hatsumi sat down beside him. "It's not really the time," she said softly.

"I know, I'm sorry. I know you've been through a lot tonight. I don't want to make it any worse," Ryoki said swallowiong a lump in his throat.

Hatsumi smiled at him. "I like you Ryoki, I know you're a kind person," she said slowly, grabbing his hand. Ryoki looked at her surprised. "I'm not sure how to say this, but I really like you, I want to," she hesitated, biting her lower lip. "I want to be together. I just feel safe around you, and loved. I want you to be with me, and go out with me. I know I probably sound really stupid right now. I went out with Asuza, but I've always liked you. I was too afraid to tell you. I thought you didn't like me very much."

"I don't know, I was confused. I wasn't sure if I like you or not. But I know now that I really like you," Ryoki said. He felt so happy, Hatsumi said she cared about him; she wanted to go out with him. He couldn't believe it; it was too good to be true. "What I mean to say is, I like you but I can't go out with you," he said.

"What do you mean?" Hatsumi said.

"I'm just not available for dating okay, but I still want to be friends," Ryoki said. "One day we'll be able to go out," he said. "Just not now." As much as he wanted to he couldn't go out with Hatsumi. He still had his promise to Ruri to consider. And things were still really rough with Asuza, and he didn't want Hatsumi hurt again because of him. Once things started to settle down he might be able to think of going out with her. But until then, no matter how painful it would be, they had to remain friends. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Hatsumi laughed. "It'll work out for the best."

"Do you really believe that?" Ryoki asked gazing at her.

She smiled at him. "With all my heart."

Ryoki smiled back, feeling happy, although nothing was really right. But she had faith that things would all work out, and so would he. Someday he would tell her how much he loved her. Until then he could be content watching her smile.

**Hey! Sorry it took so long to write. It's been like months hasn't it? Well Thanks for the reviews. They encouraged me to write more. During the summer I'll have more free time. Hopefully I'll be able to finish the story. I don't know, we'll see. Hot Gimmick 11 is coming out right? When I read 10 I was so depressed. Why aren't Ryoki and Hatsumi together? How could they break up? It made me sad for a month. All I have to say is they better get together at the end of the series or I will rip up all my Hot Gimmick books. But like Hatsumi, I have faith, so I will keep reading. I hope you all will continue reading my story as well.  So please review, and I'll talk to you nest time.**

**XxDKAxX **


	16. Chapter 16

Ryoki sat in second period, praying for it to end. It was torture sitting in math class, and the teacher just kept going on and on. Ryoki doubted anyone in the class was even paying attention, so why didn't the guy just give up. He looked out the window, feeling dead. He hadn't slept the night before, even though he couldn't really figure out why. He just kept tossing and turning, and in the end he had given up trying to fall asleep at all and went to the basement to watch television until school started. Half of his attention was on the boring programs they played in the early hours of the day, and the other half was on the clock. He had stared at it, willing time to go faster so he could go to school and maybe forget about feeling so depressed. At that time he felt nothing was worse than the agony of being trapped in your house, doing nothing at all, when the entire city was asleep.

He was wrong. School was much worse. He was surrounded by people and the weather was nice, but he was still begging time to speed up. It didn't make sense, he didn't want to stay at home, and he didn't want to stay at school. And he couldn't keep away the feeling that his life was turning into a huge mess.

First period he had sat behind Hatsumi and it had been torture. She had turned around and smiled at him, and he had returned a smile, but couldn't think of anything to be happy about. She was right in front of him, yet so out of his reach. One day, he kept telling himself, but when would that day come? When would he be free from Ruri to do as he wanted? He had promised to go out with her until she dumped him, but that could be years. What was Hatsumi supposed to do until then? Just wait around. The whole thing made him want to shoot himself, but he somehow managed to get through first period.

Luckily Asuza was nowhere to be seen. If he had been there in first period Ryoki was sure something would have happened. No doubt they'd get into a huge fight, or maybe he would just ignore him. There was no way of knowing with Asuza. Anyway, he'd missed most classes in the course, and Ryoki thought he'd be lucky to pass, even if he did well on the exam, which was highly unlikely, considering he had no notes to study from. He had managed to get through high school on dumb luck, cramming right before tests, and sucking up to girls so they would do his work and give them their notes. Ryoki had always done well, he didn't spend time studying or doing homework, but things just came easy to him and stuck there. His marks weren't great, but his teachers had always told his mother he could get 90's if he only put in a little effort.

But he couldn't bother about marks right now. He couldn't care less. He had to sort out things with Asuza, try to get Ruri to dump him, and tell Hatsumi how he really felt about her. Then he could worry about marks.

"Are you paying attention, Mr. Tachibana?" the teacher shouted, as he noticed Ryoki's head lying on the desk, his attention on a bird outside.

"No," Ryoki said, not even bothering to put his head up. Math was so easy; he had never needed to work at it. It just came naturally.

"If you don't want to pay attention, don't bother coming to class at all," the teacher said, losing his patience. "If you would like to leave, the door is open." Ryoki nodded, getting up from his seat, gathering his books, aware that all eyes were on him. He walked out, feeling better at being free. _Why did I even come today?_ He asked himself as he walked to the Caf. He sat down at an empty table, and dropped his head in his hands.

"You don't look so good," a friendly voice beside him said. He jerked his head up. Hatsumi had taken the seat beside him, and was looking at him with concern.

"I don't feel well. Last night I couldn't sleep, and I have so many problems I can't think straight," he admitted, feeling relieved he had someone to talk to. She nodded, and propped her chin in her palm.

"Want to talk about it?" Hatsumi offered. Ryoki paused, unsure of what to do. It would be such a relief to tell her what was going on, and it concerned her, so she had a right to know. But on the other hand he didn't want her knowing everything. If she knew what happened with him and Asuza she might look at him differently. "It helps to talk things over," Hatsumi said, smiling cheerfully. Ryoki felt himself smile, in spite of his situation.

"I think I would like to talk," he said. "But not here."

"I'll come to your house tonight," Hatsumi said.

"I'll be there, come whenever you're free," he said, surprised she would offer. He was also surprised as to how much he was already looking forward to her visit.

"See - you're already looking better, and we haven't even talked yet," Hatsumi said.

"Just being around you makes me feel better," Ryoki said, realizing what he said only after the words were out. He saw Hatsumi blush, and felt embarrassed. He looked down at his feet, trying to think of something else to say. "What are you doing here anyway? You don't have lunch until fourth," he asked.

"I'm supposed to be going to the bathroom. But I saw you and decided to make sure you were alright," she said. She also knew his lunch was at third, and knew he was skipping class. "I'm not a skipper like you," she said in a taunting voice.

"I'm not skipping," Ryoki said in his defense. "My teacher kicked me out," he added, grinning. Hatsumi shook her head. "Go ahead, scold me," Ryoki said, enjoying himself. "Tell me I'm not worthy of having a chance to get an education, or that I'm too immature for my age."

"I would, but it seems you know it all already," Hatsumi said, over her shoulder walking back to her classroom. He stared after her, even long after she had disappeared. How was it she could make him feel so light, when he was facing so many problems? He stood up finally, bored with just sitting around. He was walking through the hall when Ruri ran into him.

"Ryoki, I've been looking for you," she said slipping her hand into his. "I want to go on a date today," she said cheerfully.

"I really don't feel like it," he said. His voice was calm, and although he found her annoying he was able to keep himself from yelling at her. After all she was just a girl, and even annoying girls had to be treated gently.

"But you're my boyfriend," she said sadly. She frowned, her whole face wrinkling. Ryoki couldn't believe she was taking things so far, and that she expected him to play along.

"More like slave," he said, in a quiet voice. Ruri stopped walking, her body frozen. She stared at Ryoki with a look of pure hatred.

"You agreed to go out with me. Remember? You promised!" Ruri said, her whole body shaking with anger. "Come by my house after school," she ordered.

"I can't, I have plans," he said, honestly. "Besides Asuza wouldn't like me hanging out there."

"It's always about Asuza! My whole life you can't seem to get your thick head around the fact that I am more than just Asuza's sister!" Ruri cried out, seriously angry now. A crowd had stopped to watch. Most people new Ruri, she was smart and popular. And Ryoki was well known too. To see the two of them fighting about dating was something of a treat. "I love you Ryoki, and I'm not going to give you up just because you're my brother's best friend," she said. Ryoki plowed his hands through his hair, feeling helpless. It didn't matter what he said to her. She just couldn't grasp the fact that he didn't like her. But he had promised to go out with her, and he would. At least until she got tired of him.

"Let's just go now," he said quickly. Ruri seemed surprised he had given in, but she quickly composed herself. She nodded.

"Wait here while I get my bag," she said, running off. Ryoki stood, aware of the crowd still watching him. He didn't care; he was used to people looking at him. He would go with Ruri now, and then hopefully he'd get home by 4 and then Hatsumi could come over and they could talk. Until then a little time with Ruri wouldn't kill him. At least not completely.

**Hey! Thanks for all the reviews! I know it takes me a long time to update but be patient with me, I'll do my best to write more! XxDKAxX **

**PS Can't wait to read Hot Gimmick 11. I've been looking for it but I haven't seen it yet! **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Ryoki sat on the edge of Ruri's bed, staring at her walls. Her room was a baby blue colour, and on the windows there were large blue curtains. She had a double bed, with a striped bedcover, and a beige carpet. Posters lined the walls, mostly of bands, and actors. Ryoki wasn't really interested in any of them. In fact, there was really nothing interesting in Ruri's room at all.

As a child he had hardly ever seen it. He and Asuza had only gone in to take whatever she had stolen from them back. And at the time they had believed staying in a girl's room too long would give them cooties. He smiled, trying to remember when he had outgrown the cootie stage. His memory was blurry, but he did know Asuza had started being interested in girls first. And even now he loved hanging out with him, almost as much as hanging out with Ryoki himself.

At least Ruri was having fun. She came into the room wearing an outfit, asked his approval, looked at herself in the full length mirror, chose another outfit from her closet, went to the bathroom to change, and did the whole thing over again. Ryoki was surprised at how many clothes she had, and how the style really seemed the same for everything she wore. Still whenever she came in the room, he nodded his approval, sometimes saying she looked nice. In reality, he wouldn't have noticed if she had come into the room wearing the exact same outfit. But the activity kept her busy, and this way there were no awkward conversations between them.

He looked over at the clock. He had been sitting there for about an hour. Surely she'd let him go home for the day if he asked. After all they had spent the last 4 hours together. He lay back on the bed, suddenly tired. He didn't notice Ruri walk in, until she sat down beside him.

"Getting bored?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. "Ready to move onto other things?" She lay down beside him, her head resting on his chest. He lay nervously, wondering if he should get up. After all she could be thinking of doing things he didn't want to do with her. He cursed his situation, wondering why he had to be placed in this position.

"Why do you want me so badly?" Ryoki asked after minutes of silence, finally voicing his thoughts. He felt Ruri move against him, her hand running up and down his chest. He lay absolutely still, trying to ignore her hand.

"You've always been in my life Ryoki. I feel you're the only person in this world I can trust besides Asuza," Ruri whispered. Ryoki was surprised she had given such a serious answer. He hadn't expected it. "I love you."

"There are thousands of other guys," Ryoki began, but she cut him off.

"I've seen those other guys. I've dated those other guys. I've seen how they act to their parents and friends. I've come to the conclusion that all guys are jerks. My father probably being the biggest one. Even Asuza is not an exception. It seems stupidity is a trait common to all the male population," she said, smiling, but not in a happy sort of way.

"What makes you say I'm stupid?" Ryoki asked. He was getting interested in the conversation. This was the Ruri he remembered. The girl who enjoyed talking about meaningful things, not just dating and clothes.

"The way you have me all to yourself, but won't take me," she said. "That's what makes you stupid." Ryoki laughed. "It's not funny. I'm being serious. You like Hatsumi right? But tell me, honestly, what makes her better than me?"

Ryoki felt trapped and uncomfortable. Was this a question she seriously wanted answered? Or was it a trick question? One of those questions girls asked where they expected a certain reply, and would bite your head off if you gave the wrong one? His mom had asked once "Do I look fat in this dress?" and of course Ryoki had replied with an honest, blunt yes. He couldn't understand at the time why his mother had been so upset, but now he realized she had been asking him one of those special questions that only had one answer. And the answer was to make the person asking the question feel good.

"She's not exactly better than you," Ryoki began, not sure what he was going to tell her. But since he had always told the truth before, there was no point starting to lie now. "She's just the one I fell in love with. Trust me, even I was surprised at first. But there's something about her that makes me feel happy. I can't really explain it. So there isn't anything you could have done, because I had no choice in the whole thing?"

Ruri was silent for a bit. She bit her lip, thoughtfully absorbing all that he had said. "So, no matter what the circumstances you would have never fallen in love with me?"

"No," Ryoki said.

"Even if you and I had met in class, and were able to spend time together," she asked.

"Nope. As I said before, the heart chooses," he said. Ruri sat up, tears running down her cheeks. Ryoki sat up too, not quite sure what to do. He should offer her comfort, but he was probably the reason why she was so upset in the first place.

"I've been such an idiot. I just wanted someone to love me, I thought you would fall in love with me if I gave you the time to get to know me," she sobbed uncontrollably.

"I do know you, and I know you are a great person. And one day you're going to find a guy who is going to be absolutely crazy about you. He's around waiting for you, I know it," Ryoki said, touched by the words coming out of his mouth. It's amazing what crap you could think of under stress.

Ruri nodded, and he saw a small smile. "I'm sure he's out there too. Someone who will love me more than anyone else," she agreed. Ryoki raised his eyebrows in shock. If this was all it took for him to be off the hook he would have said this little speech weeks ago.

"And I should be happy that you've found someone you care about. But I can't be happy yet. One day I'll be able to congratulate you properly," she said.

"I understand," Ryoki said getting up and stretching. He hoped it was a good enough hint that he wanted to leave. Luckily Ruri seemed to get the message. She got up, and led him to the door. He followed, peering into rooms as he passed for a sign of Asuza. Where did he go if he wasn't at home or school? Ruri opened the front door, and Ryoki stepped out of the house, holding his breath. Was this it? Was he free?

"Don't be a stranger and act like you don't know me. I'll still want you to visit once in awhile. I get pretty bored by myself," she said, looking at the floor.

"Will do," Ryoki said nodding. His mind was already wandering, not really paying attention to what she was saying.

"So it would have made no difference to you whether or not I was Asuza's sister," she said. Ryoki suddenly realized she was waiting for an answer.

"No difference," he agreed, nodding his head. Ruri seemed to want to say more, but she bit her lip back. For some reason she looked distracted, but then snapped back to the present.

"Well I'll see you around then," she said giving a weak smile, "and sorry about the whole thing with Asuza."

Ryoki nodded, already walking away. He glanced at his watch as she shut the door. If he hurried he could be home in 15 minutes. He didn't look back. And Ruri lay crumpled on the floor, her whole body shaking, tears streaming down her face.

**So I updated. Hopefully I'll be able to have the next chapter by next week. I'm unsure of whether or not to add in Shinogu. What do you guys think ? Well, thanks for the reviews. And send more. Love XxDKAxX. PS - Still haven't read HG 11. The cruelty of the world! **


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Ryoki raced home, as fast as he could. All thoughts of Ruri and his visit were gone. He could only concentrate on seeing Hatsumi. When he reached his house he saw her sitting on his front steps, reading a book. As he walked up she noticed him, and quickly shuffed the book into her bag.

"Sorry to make you wait," he said, reaching for his key in his pocket. She stood up and waited behind him as he opened the door.

"It's no big deal," she said. "But you weren't in class, so I thought you'd be home early."

"I had something I needed to do," Ryoki said entering the house. She followed looking around as they walked toward the kitchen in the back of the house. She stood as he opened the fridge, looking for something to offer her. "Do you want a drink or something to eat," he asked, glancing up.

"I'll just have some juice," she said.

"Is apple okay?" he said.

"Yeah," she said. He pulled it out and got her a glass. He decided to get one himself, feeling a bit stupid. What teenage boy had apple juice in their fridge? She sat down, a bit awkwardly at the table. He downed his entire glass before taking the seat next to her.

"Did you have a good day?" he asked, unsure of what to say. She nodded, her hands wrapped around the glass.

"You wanted to talk?" she asked, taking another sip. He nodded, looking away. How much did he want to tell her? Would Asuza find out if he told her he had vandalized the wall? Well, it wasn't really a secret anymore. Most of the kids had put two and two together, principal said the culprit was caught and Asuza was expelled. Plus Asuza hated him anyway, it didn't matter what he did now.

"Start from the beginning," she offered, seeing his difficulty.

"It was me and Asuza who vandalized the wall. He did it and I stood watch, but I guess I wasn't really paying attention cause someone else saw us. Someone told the principal it was him, and he got expelled," Ryoki began, staring at her face for a reaction, but she didn't seem surprised or disgusted, so he felt it was safe to continue. "After that Asuza didn't talk to me, for some reason he was angry, and just when I thought he was alright I found out he was going out with you. And I wasn't sure what to say, but I thought it would be best not to interfere, that Asuza would dump you because he never stayed with a girl very long. And just when he said he was going to dump you I find out he took you to his cottage."

"How did you find out?" Hatsumi asked, her voice quiet.

"Asuza's sister Ruri told me Asuza had no intention of dumping you, that he was using you and going to," Ryoki paused unsure of what to say, "hurt you." Hatsumi nodded, but she wasn't looking at him anymore.

"She told me Asuza had told her, and so I asked her where you were. I was so worried about you, I couldn't think straight. But she wouldn't tell me. She said she wanted me to go out with her, to forget about you. I screamed at her to tell me and she wouldn't. She wouldn't say where you were unless I agreed to go out with her," Ryoki said.

"Ruri. I know her, we've talked before," Hatsumi said. "I had no idea she was Asuza's sister. So you've known each other a long time?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't matter. I had to agree to go out with her, and she told me where you were and I went and I rescued you," Ryoki said.

"Then what happened?" Hatsumi asked.

"I don't know, I was supposed to start going out with Ruri, but I went to her house today and I told her I liked you and that I never liked her," Ryoki admitted. "Luckily I got the hell out of there before Asuza got there. If he had found me in Ruri's room he would have beaten me to a pulp."

Hatsumi was quiet, thinking. "Ruri is very pretty, and she's smart and popular," Hatsumi finally said.

"Yeah, so," Ryoki nodded waiting for the point. Hatsumi blushed.

"It's just, are you sure you wouldn't rather go out with someone like her?" Hatsumi asked.

"What?" Ryoki said astonished. Was Hatsumi telling him to go out with Ruri? Had she lost interest in him already and was trying to send him off without hurting his feelings?

"It's just, I know she's really popular at school and pretty, and you're pretty popular yourself Ryoki, and the girls are always saying you could have any girl you want. And I'm not really popular, or pretty, and I have to work hard for my marks," Hatsumi said. Ryoki smiled. She was so damn cute. She was worried that she wasn't good enough for him, but she didn't understand how he felt about her.

"You don't need to worry Hatsumi. I don't care if you're popular, or not a genius. And if all the girls say I can have any girl I want then don't you think I'd pick the best one?" Ryoki said.

"I guess," Hatsumi answered feeling shy. "It's just there are so many rumors going around at school that you and Ruri are going out, and I know it shouldn't bother me but it does."

"I'm glad it bothers you," Ryoki said. "But don't worry about it. You're the one I want. No one else." He bent towards her, kissing her despite her pink face. His hand grabbed her shoulder as if holding her in place, as if he was worried she could slip away if he let go. They sat for a long time, only enjoying the feeling of the other's mouth on theirs. When Hatsumi finally pulled away Ryoki was left feeling disoriented. She stood up, suddenly feeling she had stayed too long.

"I better go. My parents will be worried," she said. He nodded leading her to the front door. He opened it sad to see her go.

"Want me to walk you home?" he asked, wanting her to stay with him a little longer.

"I'll be alright, goodbye," Hatsumi said. But she didn't walk away. Instead she stood staring at Ryoki a bit longer.

"What is it?" Ryoki asked. He loved the way she looked at him, although he couldn't describe why. The fact that she hadn't walked away right away made him happy.

"I don't know. I kind of feel sorry for Ruri. She must have loved you all this time, and you never paid any attention to her," Hatsumi said, wondering how she would feel in Ruri's position.

"Well she certainly did try to get me to like her. Bothering me all the time to date her, and then bribing me," Ryoki said, wondering if she was jealous of the attention Ruri gave him.

"It's strange, after she worked so hard to get you to go out with her, she just let you go in the end," Hatsumi muttered. "But it worked out for us," she said walking away. She turned at the end of the driveway and waved one final time to Ryoki before disappearing.

Ryoki stood in the doorway a long time after she had gone. He couldn't help but hear Hatsumi's words echo in his head. Its true Ruri had bribed him to go out with her. She could have kept him for months, but she let him go after only one day. Why did she suddenly change her mind? And why did he feel as if she was hiding things?

**OK The end of chapter 18. I'll try to update soon, but I'll be on vacation for a couple weeks, then school. Let's just not think about it. I do have good news. I read Hot Gimmick 11. I've been checking every week since June to see if it's there. And I finally found it. It was pretty good. But it leaves me burning for the next volume. I'm so curious; I won't say anything because maybe some haven't read it. If you have send me what you think. Did Shinogu do what Hatsumi asked him to do? Oh my god I'm dying to know. I don't think he did, but my friend says yes. It makes me want to scream. Oh you shouldve seen me at Chapters. I saw the volume and I started hyperventilating I was so happy and shocked. Okay I'll stop before you think I'm crazy, but oh I want to read the 12th one so badly. And thanks for the reviews. Please write more. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Ryoki and Hatsumi walked together to school the next day. Hatsumi felt self conscious, and felt everyone that knew Ryoki was staring at her, wondering why she was with him. Did people think she wasn't good enough for him? Her worries increased when she saw Ruri walking towards them. Was she going to change her mind and demand Ryoki go out with her like he had promised? What if Ruri challenged her to a fight over Ryoki? She could never beat someone so smart and popular. But it wouldn't matter if Ruri liked Ryoki because Ryoki had chosen her.

"Ryoki, have you seen Asuza?" Ruri asked, stopping in front of them. She shuffled from one foot to the next as if she were ready to run at the second's notice.

"What happened to your face?" Ryoki asked, ignoring the question. There was a huge bruise on her left eye, and although she had tried to conceal it, it was obvious to see. Ruri smiled at him.

"Is it really that obvious?" she asked.

"Yeah. You'd have to be blind not to see it," Ryoki said. Hatsumi elbowed him lightly in the stomach.

"Don't listen to him Ruri. You can hardly see it," Hatsumi offered, smiling. Ruri glared at her, and opened her mouth to say something, but shut it at the last minute. Hatsumi tried not to assume she was going to say something bad, but she felt from the girl's glare that it would have been better for her to have kept quiet.

"Whatever. Look I asked you if you had seen Asuza," Ruri asked.

"What do you want him for?" Ryoki asked.

"It's just he didn't come home last night," Ruri said. Ryoki laughed.

"And what's so uncommon about that?" Ryoki said. Hatsumi kept her eyes glued to the ground. Asuza had never come home? And according to Ryoki it wasn't uncommon behavior. Her parents would kill her if she didn't come home at night. She'd be undoubtedly grounded for life. Didn't Asuza's parents care that he stayed out all night?

"Look my dad's here, and he wants Asuza to be here," Ruri said. "Although it's really none of your business." Ryoki was about to say it was his business, but then thought maybe she was right. After all, him and Asuza weren't exactly friends anymore.

"Was your dad the one that hit you?" Ryoki asked. Hatsumi looked up in surprise. Ruri didn't seem that fazed, but she didn't answer the question.

"I know your not on good terms, but tell Asuza if you see him that I was looking for him," Ruri said walking away. Ryoki shrugged and kept walking, but Hatsumi couldn't move. Ruri's father had hit her, and no one was going to do anything about it? Asuza was missing and his best friend didn't even care enough to look for him? Everything just seemed wrong. Ryoki noticed Hatsumi hadn't moved and went to stand beside her.

"It's terrible," she whispered, feeling despair well up inside her. Ryoki waited for her to say more, but she seemed lost.

"What is it?" he asked, not sure what to make of her strange behavior.

"Ruri's father hit her, and no one is going to do a thing to help her," Hatsumi said. "And Asuza. What's going to happen to him? What if he's hurt somewhere?" Ryoki laughed, and Hatsumi looked at him surprised. "Do you really not care about these so called friends of yours? Is that the kind of friend you are, one that pretends not to notice when your friends are in trouble?" Ryoki stopped laughing and stared at her.

He hadn't meant to make her upset, but she didn't understand. How could she possibly understand anything about them?

"Ruri will be fine. She's leaving for university on a scholarship in the fall. And Asuza can take care of himself, he's been doing just that since he was small," Ryoki said.

"I don't think its right," Hatsumi said, walking. Ryoki stepped beside her, and they walked into the school but the feeling the two of them had had before was gone. They sat down in their classroom without speaking. Hatsumi left the room quickly afterward, not waiting for Ryoki as she usually did. He watched her walk away, a bit angry. What gave her the right to judge him on being a good friend? He knew what it was like for them, and she knew nothing about their lives. She should just mind her own business.

But she was probably just trying to help. She had a kind heart, and wasn't aware of the cruel and harsh world they lived in. She actually had parents who cared, parents who had time to watch over her. Her parents probably had good jobs so they had nothing to worry about when they came home, while his mother always had to scrape to make ends meet. It wasn't fair she had a nice life while his mom worried over paying the bills, and Asuza's dad hitting his kids when he thought they needed it. He wasn't blaming her for being born into her life, he was just remarking on the kinds of lives they led, which were obviously more different than he had first imagined.

He saw has after school, and rushed to meet her, intent on talking to her, even if she didn't want to. When she noticed him she smiled, but her expression was worried. Once he caught up to her they both started walking home. Hatsumi kept her eyes down, and was walking slower than usual.

"About this morning," Ryoki said.

"I'm sorry. It wasn't any of my business," Hatsumi cut in quickly. "I was just feeling sorry for them I guess, and I wanted you to help them, when it really isn't your place to help."

"Hey, you don't have to apologize. You must have been surprised. I know how you must have felt hearing those things, but trust me it's better to just let them keep going," Ryoki said. He wanted to explain to her that it wasn't her fault for her opinion, and it wasn't his fault for leaving him alone, but he couldn't think of the right words. "Their dad, he's not that great. He yells at them a lot, and sometimes he gets violent, but most of the time he isn't home, yeah. So he pays the bills and lets them live alone, which is what they want. If they were to report him, or tell someone he'd probably be arrested. And then who would they live with? They'd probably have to move from the only place they've ever lived to a home full of strangers, people who feel sorry for them. It would be best to wait. Once they can live on their own, they don't have to see their dad ever again, get it?"

"Yeah, I understand. But what about their mother?" Hatsumi asked.

"She died a long time ago," Ryoki said.

"That's sad," Hatsumi said. "I have such a close relationship with my family. I guess it would be hard for me to understand Asuza and Ruri because they're completely on their own." Her expression looked so serious, and she seemed to genially care about them, but it made him worry. He didn't want her getting involved with their lives. Asuza may still be out waiting to seek revenge. At one point or another Ryoki was going to have to get this sorted out, before it hurt him or Hatsumi again.

"Hey, don't worry about it. You know, I'm sure they prefer it that way. At least on their own they can do whatever they want," Ryoki said, trying to make her smile. She did, and he felt a hundred times better. He decided to forget about Asuza for the time being. Time to concentrate on what was really important, him and Hatsumi. He was just about to ask her into his house for some serious kissing when he spotted someone sitting on his steps.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Hatsumi said, seeing Ryoki's visitor. Ryoki nodded, kissing her quickly on the cheek before running up to his house. He stared in surprise at his unexpected visitor. What was Asuza doing at his house?

**Hey!! Thanks for all the reviews. I finished reading Hot Gimmick. Up to Volume 12. The ending was good, it kind of cut things off, especially with Asuza, and does Shinogu really become a you know what? That is so weird. I won't write anything to spoil it for those who haven't read it. Let's just say I'm happy with who she ended up with but the ending should have been more dramatic. Anyway I can't complain. I'll post the next chapter as soon as possible, but it might be awhile. I'm writing another story, a Gundam Seed/Gundam Seed Destiny one. So if you like that anime check it out. Thanks for reading. Love XxDKAxX. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"Hey Ryoki, it's been awhile, how're things?" Asuza asked, as if everything were normal. As if things were exactly the way they were before.

"What are you doing here Asuza?" Ryoki asked. He was tired and he wanted to go inside and take a shower, not get into another fight with Asuza.

"I came to apologize," Asuza said. Ryoki looked to make sure Asuza wasn't joking around. His face was serious, but Asuza could fool people easily. He was a good actor.

"Alright," Ryoki said. He stood in front of Asuza, and Asuza sat on the porch steps and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry Ryoki," he said.

"Is that it?" Ryoki laughed. "Do you expect me to forgive you now? After what you did to Hatsumi, you can forget it man," Ryoki said.

"I can understand why you won't forgive me. I did some bad things. And I should have realized that you wouldn't have told on me, that you're my best friend. I'm just stupid some times," Asuza said honestly.

"I know that," Ryoki said.

"You probably know it best," Asuza laughed. Ryoki smiled, but stopped himself from saying anything else. His anger toward Asuza had softened, but he couldn't be friends with him again. Still he couldn't deny for a minute there it had felt that they were best friends again. But Asuza didn't deserve a second chance. Not after what he did.

"You won't forgive me?" Asuza asked, noticing Ryoki's expression. Ryoki shook his head. "It doesn't matter. We'll be friends again anyway."

"Whatever Asuza," Ryoki said, trying to walk around him to get into his house.

"Hey, be a friend and give this to Hatsumi for me," Asuza asked, handing Ryoki an envelope.

"What is this?" Ryoki asked.

"An apology. I know you guys are tight now. I'm happy for you," Asuza said. Ryoki stared at him, not knowing what to think. What could have changed Asuza's opinion so suddenly? Or maybe this was just another trick. Ryoki ripped open the envelope, taking out the letter. He noticed Asuza's messy hand writing, the same writing he had had in grade school.

"Couldn't you have typed it?" Ryoki asked, trying to decipher the first line.

"It's wouldn't have been sincere then," Asuza explained. Ryoki nodded, scanning through the letter.

"Dear Hatsumi,

I'm sorry for, wait I should write apologize, that's a better word, but then again it's not exactly how I talk, and I want you to read this letter as if I'm saying it to you. And I would never say apologize. No one says I apologize, everyone just says sorry. So I'm sorry for what I did. I understand how wrong it was of me to do it, especially since it didn't involve you. I was just trying to get back at Ryoki. Because I thought he told the principal that I had written on the wall, which resulted in me being suspended, as you probably already know. Well I wanted to hurt Ryoki, and decided to do it through you, since I knew at the time he was totally in love with you, even though he himself didn't even know it. He is so dense sometimes.

Anyway I'm sorry for hurting you. Hopefully I didn't scar you emotionally or anything. I know some people have to go to therapy after they get raped, but since it never actually happened to you I didn't think you'd need it. But if you did I swear I'll pay the cost or whatever. Which is a pretty noble thing, considering like one hour with a therapist is like two hundred dollars. But I'm willing just to show how sorry I am. I am seriously one screwed up kid, and Ryoki is the only thing keeping me in school, and probably out of jail. Unfortunately Ryoki isn't speaking to me now. I realize what a great friend he really is, and I would like to be his friend again, so maybe you could convince him to give me another chance, even if you don't think I deserve it.

Again, I'm really sorry, and I will do anything you can think of to punish me, even run around the whole school naked, which was what Ryoki dared me to do in grade 1. But that would probably only get me suspended again, and I really can't afford to miss anymore school. So preferably punishments where I wouldn't get suspended and or expelled for doing. Thanks a lot. And sorry.

Asuza.

PS If you can't read anything get Ryoki to read it for you. Sorry again."

Ryoki looked up. "You can't be serious," he said.

"Just give it to her," Asuza said.

"It's totally garbage. Ninety percent of it's totally off topic, and the other ten percent is just you saying I'm sorry over and over again," Ryoki pointed out.

"What else was I supposed to say? I can't just give her a note saying sorry the end. How sincere is that? So sue me if I'm not an English major," Asuza said. "Just give it to her, alright?"

"I will," Ryoki said.

"Thank you," Asuza said. He got up to walk away.

"Not that I've forgiven you, but can I just ask why you suddenly decided to apologize?" Ryoki asked.

"I found out who actually told the principal I wrote on the wall," Asuza confessed.

"Who was it?" Ryoki asked.

"The same person who told me you had told the principal," Asuza said.

"Ruri," Ryoki muttered. It made sense. Ruri wanted to break up their friendship because she thought it was the only thing keeping Ryoki from dating her. She also wanted to hurt Hatsumi because she knew he liked her. "How did you find out?"

"The office told me," Asuza said.

"No way."

"Yeah, they said to me, 'Asuza did you hit Ruri?'" Asuza said. "And I said no, and then he said 'Ruri came to school with a black eye today, are you sure you didn't hit her?' and I'm like what the hell is this guy smoking? And so I say again, 'no. Why would I hit my own sister?' and the idiot comes out and says, 'because she got you suspended by telling me you were writing on the wall,' and I was out of there."

"Have you talked to her yet?" Ryoki asked.

"Not yet. I don't know what to say. What should I say?" Asuza asked.

Ryoki shrugged. "Tell her what she did was wrong. I don't know," he said.

Asuza sighed. "Okay, well I'll get going. I'll talk to you later. And again I'm sorry for not believing you. And I'm sorry for the way things turned out."

"So am I," Ryoki said. Asuza nodded, and walked away. And Ryoki watched him walk away, feeling sorry for him. That was one screwed up family, but you just had to like them.

**Sorry it took so long. Thanks for the reviews, they mean a lot!! I'll try to update soon. Until then XxDKAxX**.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"Take it," Ryoki said, handing Hatsumi the plain white envelope.

"But what is it?" Hatsumi asked curiously.

"Something from Asuza," he said, not wanting to say more. Asuza has asked him to try and get Hatsumi's forgiveness for him, but Ryoki seriously didn't want to get involved. Hatsumi had a right to be mad, and he wouldn't blame her if she stayed mad at Asuza forever. He wondered why Asuza even cared so much.

Hatsumi looked at him, searching for clues on what the envelope contained. Since it was blank she proceeded to open the envelope. She took out the letter and read it in complete silence. When she was done she put it back in the envelope and crammed it into her coat pocket. They kept walking, and since she didn't say anything Ryoki also kept his mouth shut. He was curious what she thought about the letter, but it was her own business.

"Are you doing anything today?" she asked her voice normal.

"Nothing really. Just homework," he said. "I have a test tomorrow."

"Oh, that sucks. Are you busy tomorrow?" she asked.

"Why do you want to do something?" Ryoki asked, surprised.

"Well, if you're not busy," Hatsumi said, blushing. Ryoki smiled.

"We can do something today. I don't need to study," he said.

"No, you should study. I'd hate to be a bad influence on you," Hatsumi said. She made it sound like a joke, but her face looked upset.

"What's wrong?" Ryoki asked, slowing down his pace. They were near her house now, and he wanted to have enough time for her to tell him what was wrong. He watched her hesitate, and bite her lip.

"It's my brother. Yesterday I found out he wasn't my real brother. He's adopted and he's planning on moving out of the house. We've always been so close, but all of a sudden he's become so distant. It hurts me when it's awkward between us, when we've always been together before," she said quietly. Ryoki nodded, not knowing quite what to say. So her brother was adopted, why did that change things between them?

"Just treat him the same as you always do," Ryoki suggested. "I'm sure eventually he'll turn back to normal. He's probably just worried now that you know." Hatsumi nodded, but didn't look any happier than she did before.

"I care about him so much. He's the only one in my family who truly understands me. I don't know how life will be when he leaves. I don't even want to think about it," Hatsumi whispered, tears coming to her eyes. Ryoki gave a sigh, and pulled her into a hug.

"Don't worry about him, alright? If he wants to leave then screw him," Ryoki said, but it just made Hatsumi cry harder. Alright, maybe that wasn't the best thing to say. But he couldn't just tell her it would be alright. Because a lot of the time it didn't turn out alright, and the last thing he wanted to do was lie to her. "No matter what happens I'll always be here for you," Ryoki said.

"Promise?" Hatsumi asked, looking up at him with teary brown eyes. Ryoki smiled, loving the way she needed him.

"I promise," he said. He wiped away her tears, his thumb sliding over her soft cheek. She caught her breath, waiting for him to kiss her. He did, pushing her against his body. They kissed for a long time, but it seemed short. Eventually she went inside, trying to smile as she closed the door. He walked away, back towards his house. He loved spending time with her, and he wished desperately she'd be happier tomorrow. Because although he loved being there to comfort her, he loved seeing her smile even more.

He was doing his homework when the phone rang. He picked it up before his mom could answer, hoping it might be Hatsumi. It was Asuza. He was breathing hard, as if he was running. Ryoki waited for him to say something, but it was a long time before he did.

"Ryoki, you have to help me," he panted into the phone.

"Wait a minute, what's wrong?" Ryoki asked, wondering why Asuza was calling him when technically they weren't even friends anymore.

"These two guys are chasing me. One's got a gun," Asuza said. Ryoki froze, the phone hanging next to his ear. It took him a second before he could speak.

"Who are they?" Ryoki asked.

"I don't know. Never seen them before in my life," Asuza said. Ryoki didn't know what to do. There was no way Asuza could be joking about something so serious. But what could he have done to get him into this much trouble. Before he could ask he heard Asuza swear. There was no time to think. Asuza could end up getting shot. But what could he do? He could call the police, but he didn't want them involved. Wonder if Asuza has done something to get himself in trouble as well. And he couldn't tell Asuza to come here, not with his mother home. The only thing to do was to go out and try to find him.

"Where are you Asuza?" Ryoki asked, his voice even.

"Right now, I'm running through the parking lot at school," Asuza said.

"I'll be there in five minutes," Ryoki said, hanging up before Asuza could reply. He raced downstairs, pulling on his shoes. The phone rang again, and his mom answered.

"Ryoki, it's Hatsumi," she said, calling from the kitchen.

"Tell her I'll call her back as soon as I get in," he shouted back, tossing on a coat.

"She sounds kind of upset, like she's crying," his mom said, walking into the hall, the phone in her hand. Ryoki looked at it, but knew he didn't have time to waste.

"I'll call her as soon as I get back," he said again, racing out the door. He ran the six blocks to the school, searching the parking lot for signs of Asuza. He ran around the wall, and paused when he heard shouting. Two large guys had Asuza up against the wall, and were beating him up. When he saw the gun he ran into the wall, hiding himself so they wouldn't see him. There was no way he was going to be able to help without putting his life in danger. But there was no way he could just watch from the sidelines. He thought of a stupid risky plan, but decided to use it anyway.

"Stop right now, this is the police," he shouted, holding up his hands as if we were also holding a gun. If the guys looked too closely they would know he was lying. But there was a chance they'd panic and run, not being able to tell in the darkness. He was willing to take the chance. The guys looked over at him, alarmed. Ryoki couldn't see any of their features, so hopefully they couldn't see him either.

He breathed a huge sigh of relief as they took off, running across the parking lot. Ryoki immediately ran over to Asuza, and crouched down beside him. He could see blood pouring out of several spots in Asuza's chest. He wasn't moving. Ryoki shook him, but he remained still. He felt panic rise within him. Those fucking bastards had just killed his best friend. Asuza was dead, and they were just going to escape. Ryoki spotted the gun on the ground beside his foot. Without thinking he picked it up. Asuza was dead, but maybe those guys wouldn't go unpunished. He took aim and shot.

The bang that was produced was louder than expected. Ryoki almost fell backward with the force. But he kept his eyes up, and saw that one of the guys fell to the ground. The other guy kept running, leaving his friend behind. Ryoki realized he'd been holding his breath, and suddenly let it out. And when he breathed in the full impact of what he had done sank in. He took the gun throwing it into a sewer grate. He grabbed Asuza's cell phone, and dialed 911, careful not to touch it with his fingertips so he could be identified. And then he simply ran home.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

When Ryoki got home his mother was waiting by the door. She had a worried look on her face, and as soon as Ryoki saw her he was struck by how old she was getting.

"Hatsumi called five times. She seemed so urgent, but she wouldn't tell me what was going on," his mother said. Ryoki shrugged at her.

"Don't worry about it," he told her. "I'll call her now." Ryoki thought nothing Hatsumi would have to say could be as urgent as what Ryoki had done.

"She's not pregnant, is she?" Ryoki's mother said, standing up. Ryoki couldn't help but laugh at the idea.

"She's not pregnant, I can tell you that much. Or if she is it's not my doing," Ryoki said putting an arm on his mom's shoulder. She worried way too much, especially about things that weren't even happening. She probably heard Hatsumi say something in a sad tone and had blown it up to a catastrophe. There was probably nothing even wrong. And how could his mom bring up the fact that Hatsumi might be pregnant? That would imply she thought they were having sex. And as much as Ryoki wished it were true, it would not be happening anytime soon at the rate Hatsumi wanted it to. But he couldn't complain too much, they were getting closer each day and he was confident that soon she would be ready to take the final step with him. And when that happened he would make it worth the wait.

"Hatsumi is not that type of girl. But I know you Ryoki, you're just like your father. If I find out you pushed her towards sex and she is pregnant I will cut off your penis, cook it and make you eat it," his mother promised.

"That is just disgusting," Ryoki said hardly believing his mom would say something like that. Then again, she seemed like the type of person who would do it. He wondered if that was why his parents had only had one child - because something had happened that made his father physically unable to bear children. There was no way to know for sure.

"Just call her and find out what's wrong," his mother said.

"I will," Ryoki promised. Then he left to his room, exhausted. Who knew that when Ryoki returned to his room that night he would be a murderer? He collapsed on his bed, shutting his eyes. He could shut his mind against the images of the night, but for some reason he kept hearing the shot in his ears. To distract himself he picked up the phone and dialed Hatsumi's number. There was no answer. Weird for no one to be at home so late at night. Or maybe they were just all asleep, like normal people. Lying back on his bed he thought it was going to be a hard night. After all he had seen so many movies, and read so many books of people who couldn't sleep after killing someone. He remembered Macbeth, who after murdering his cousin went insane, and he wondered if he would have to suffer a similar fate.

He was wrong. He seemed to just close his eyes and then he was asleep. He woke up the next morning to the phone ringing in his ear.

"Hello?" he asked groggily. He looked at the clock. Wow m- 6 in the morning! Who the hell would call so early on a weekend?

"Ryoki, it's me," Hatsumi's voice was clear and unmistakable on the other line.

"What's wrong? I tried to call you back yesterday," Ryoki said. Although Hatsumi hadn't said much he could tell from the tone of her voice that something was seriously wrong.

"I'm at the hospital Ryoki," Hatsumi said. He could tell that she was crying.

"You're not pregnant are you?" Ryoki found himself asking.

"No idiot. My brother is here. Ryoki you have to come now. I have to tell you something, but I can't say it over the phone. Please come," Hatsumi begged. Ryoki sat up.

"I'll be right there. Just tell me where you are," he ordered. Hatsumi gave directions to the hospital and Ryoki was off. He left a note for his mom telling her he was at Hatsumi's. Then he took the bus to the hospital. The whole way he couldn't help wondering what was going on. Was it really that serious with her brother that she was crying on the phone? But if it was something like that why wouldn't Hatsumi tell his mom about it? Why would she keep it a secret?

He rushed into the hospital cutting in front of some people waiting. Then he spotted Hatsumi waiting near the doors for him. He ran to her and squeezed her into a hug. "Now tell me what's wrong?" Ryoki ordered.

"My brother is in a coma, and it's all my fault," Hatsumi sobbed. She buried her face into his shirt. Ryoki sighed. What was it with girls that they also thought everything was their fault.

"You couldn't have done anything to prevent it," Ryoki said trying to comfort her.

"You're wrong Ryoki. It is my fault. Because I am such an idiot my brother is in a coma," she said. She broke away from me, tears pouring from her eyes. "You're going to hate me. It's my fault – you don't know – there's more. Asuza…" she trailed off, trying to control her sobs. How did she know about Asuza? The police must have found the body. That was why she was so upset, because her brother was sick and Asuza was dead. She thought he didn't know, and she was probably scared to tell him the news.

"Hatsumi, please don't worry. I know he's dead," Ryoki said trying to pull her back into his arms. Hatsumi wouldn't let him. She looked up at him instead.

"Asuza's not dead. He's unconscious in the hospital," she said surprised. Ryoki's eyes felt like they were about to pop out of his head.

"He's not dead?" Ryoki asked his voice barely a whisper.

"No, thank god. If he was I don't know how I'd live with myself," Hatsumi said.

"He's not dead," Ryoki repeated, the words sinking in. He had shot someone and killed them because he had thought Asuza was dead. Why hadn't he made sure first? Why hadn't he stopped to think?

"Hatsumi – your brother's condition is getting better. You can go in and see him now," a passing doctor told her. She smiled in relief and thanks. Then she grabbed Ryoki's hand and started to lead him down the hallway.

"Ryoki, I feel so bad. All of this is my fault. I have to tell you, you'd want me to tell you right, even if you might hate me because of it. We always have to be honest with each other," Hatsumi said as if to herself.

"Yes. I want us to be honest. Now tell me what it is you're blaming yourself for," Ryoki insisted. Hatsumi paused outside her brother's room.

"My brother saw the note, the one Asuza had written to me. I left it in my bag, and he saw it. He knows what Asuza did, and he left to hurt him, I know it. I tried to call you to warn Asuza but you weren't home. I didn't know what to do Ryoki. What could I have done?" Hatsumi asked. Ryoki swallowed trying to absorb what she was saying. For some reason the ground felt like it was tilting.

"You're saying your brother was the one who hurt Asuza?" Ryoki asked his words getting caught in his throat. Hatsumi nodded.

"And he was shot, and now he's in the hospital," Hatsumi said. She must have noticed something in Ryoki's face for she stepped back and looked at him in concern. "What's wrong?" she asked. Ryoki ignored her. He opened the door to her brother's room. There lying on the bed was the man he had seen last night stabbing Asuza. There lay the man he had shot, Hatsumi's brother.

**Thank you for the reviews!!!!! I really appreciate them. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!! Love XxDKAxX. **


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